Elvira Mykhaylenko, our Aurora Academy Director, wants nothing more than to see the students, that attend her tutoring centre, succeed! Her goal is to help students improve their grades and set them on the path of educational success.

Discover more about the tutoring services offered at our Aurora Academy in this interview with the director, Elvira Mykhaylenko.

Interview was conducted verbally, so transcript reflects natural, conversational English with conscious light editing versus what might appear in a formal, written piece.

Elvira: My name is Elvira and I am the owner and director of the Academy for Mathematics & English in Aurora. I am from the Ukraine. I worked as a teacher at the university level in the Ukraine for many years. And then I got my MBA diploma and then I ran my business in the Ukraine for 15 years. In September 2012, I opened my own Academy tutoring centre, which is located at 330 McClellan Way in Aurora near the major intersections of Bathurst Avenue and Bloomington Road.

Elvira: I started this business because my goal is to help students improve their understanding in Math, English and Science. I love running my Academy because nothing is more rewarding than seeing students realize it’s possible to improve their grades with our help, watching them take baby steps on the path of educational success. On that path, their confidence grows too. This is very rewarding.

Elvira: Our Academy provides tutoring services to students in all grades and benefits from the company’s 25 years of experience of having helped tens of thousands of students, across Canada, improve their grades. We recently introduced a new program – Super Readers – which helps students improve their reading skills. We have many options to showcase our services. We offer a free trial class and a free skill level evaluation to all our students.

Elvira: I love the community of Aurora. I wanted to help kids here succeed.

Elvira: The majority of our students live in Aurora and in the town of Richmond Hill. But I have a number of students from as far north as Bradford who have come to know us through word-of-mouth.

Elvira: There are eight schools around the Academy that most of our students attend. Some of them go to public schools like Aurora Grove Public School, Devins Drive, Hartman Public, Highview Public and Lester B. Pearson. I have some students from secondary schools – Aurora High School, Dr. Williams Secondary School and some students come from Catholic schools – Cardinal Carter Catholic School and St. Maximilian Kolbe Catholic High School. And I have students from King City Secondary School. Right now, for example, I have 10 students from St. Maximilian Kolbe Catholic High School and four of them, they are from the same school, from the same class, and all of them are friends.

Elvira: There are generally two types of students we work with. Those who are in IB or gifted program and they are interested in polishing their level of knowledge in a specific subject, or those who experience difficulties with the subjects understanding. We believe that everybody can understand Math, English or Science. And now, we have more and more students who are doing our Super Readers program.

Elvira: The most popular program in the Academy is Math but we have a number of students in English, Science, Chemistry, Physics, in all grades.

Elvira: What I think makes customers feel special is – attitude. I strive to go above and beyond in the delivery of our tutoring services, and operating with total integrity and transparency – just as I would like to be treated if I was a parent.

Elvira: I think the difference is in my sincere attitude and commitment to helping students. I have a passion for education.

Elvira: We do all of the unusual special things that separates the Academy for Mathematics & English from other companies. Our programs are entirely customized and individualized based on the diagnosed strengths and learning gaps of each student. Each student works in their own learning booth, free of distraction or peer pressure. We deliver intensive, 1-on-1 assistance that is not possible in a classroom setting. As a result, our students learn much faster than in other, less optimized settings.

Elvira: Yes, I have two for you. One of my students came to us with a ‘D’ average in Math and was utterly disappointed with her performance. She wasn’t even thinking of switching schools. Now, three years later, she’s one of the best students in class and Math is now a piece of cake. Another girl who is in Grade 8 started working with us three months ago with a 55% average in Math and she was supposed to apply for a high school applied program. But now she has an average of 88% in Math and she says that Math is her favorite subject in school.

Elvira: It’s very short. My customers are my family. My students are my relatives. This defines my attitude and approach to tutoring. I go above and beyond to help my students succeed.